Bertha Louis

This study builds on the work of Manning (2010) by introducing new data that further develops the coastal evolution of Grand Pré. Grand Pré is a Canadian National Historic Site that is in the process of becoming a UNESCO heritage site because of its rich Acadian history. The Grand Pré area, located in the south-west region of the Minas Basin, consisted of tidal marshlands before the Acadian settlers arrived in the late 1600s. Acadian settlers converted salt marsh and mudflats to farmland using dykes. This study focuses on the western region of Grand Pré and seeks to identify transgressive and regressive cycles from sediments collected using vibracoring techniques. Sediments are analysed for Foraminifer content using a microscope. The high to middle marsh is identified by the presence of Trochammina inflata, Trochammina macrascens, and Tiphotrocha comprimata while mudflat regions are identified by the presence of Haynesina orbiculare and Elphidium williamsoni. The new data highlights an important transgressive event experienced in the region. It also indicates that Acadian influence decreases in the western region.

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Pages: 59
Supervisor: David Scott